Display and cell case.



No. 659,225. Patented Oct. 9,1900.

A. A. GRAU.

DISPLAY AND CELL CASE.

A xicac'ion filed. May 31, 1900.,

(No Model.)

NITED STATES ATENT OFFICE.

DISPLAY AND CELL CASE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 659,225, dated October 9, 1900. Application filed May 31, 1900. serial No. 18,501. No model-3 To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ADAM A. GRAU, of West Bend, in the county of Washington and State of Wisconsin, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Display and Cell Cases, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which are a part of this specification.

My invention relates to an improved case adapted for the display of goods in connection with cells or receptacles adapted to hold a supply of the goods or material in' such manner as to be conveniently removable for delivery to a purchaser thereof.

The invention consists of the improved case, its parts and combinations of parts, as herein described and claimed, or the equivalents thereof.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of the rear of my improved case. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the front of the case. Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section of the improved case. Fig. 4 is a transverse horizontal section of the improved case on line 4 4 of Fig. 2, looking downwardly.

In the drawings, 5 is the bottom of the case, the floor being preferably raised somewhat on feet or a supporting marginal base 6, as desired. The exterior surface of this base is preferably constructed with an ornamental finish. Posts 7 7 at the corners of the case are secured to the base or bottom and project upwardly therefrom and support a frame or molding 8 about the top of the case.

At the front and at the two adjacent sides the case is inclosed by glazed panels 9 9. At the rear the upper portion of the case is closed by a wall 10, preferably of wood or sheet metal, the lower portion of which wall is carried inwardly, forming an inclined partial bottom 11 to a series of cells. For convenience a mirror 12 is placed on and secured to the exterior surface of this rear wall 10. Inner walls 13 13, at a little distance on the inside from the panels 9 9 at the front and at the sides of the case, are secured to the front posts and to the rear wall, and these inner walls, being provided with outwardlyextending ribs 14 14, form a series of compartments 15 15, adapted to hold therein -a supply of the goods or materials held in quantities in the cells of the case or otherwise,

which materials are displayed or exposed to view in these compartments through the glazed panels 9 9. A series of partitions 16 16, secured to the inner walls 13 13 and to the rear wall 10, divide the interior of the case into two series of cells 1'7 and, 17. These partitions 16 16 and the inner walls 13 are preferably made of sheet metal or of wood. The transverse partition 16 does not extend quite to the bottom of the case, thus providing an opening at the bottom of the cells 17 toward the rear of the case. A floor 18, at a distance above the bottom of the case, is provided for the cells 17. This floor is a little below the lower edge of the inclined partial bottom 11, providing an opening at the bottom of the cells 17 for removing material therefrom. The rear of the case below the partially closing wall 10 is open adjacent to and above the floor 18 to the several cells 17 and adjacent to and above the floor 5 to the several cells 17 The glazed panels 9 9 at the front and sides of the case do not extend quite to the fioor 5 of the case, but stop at a rail 19 a little above the bottom or floor 5, and the several compartments 9 are each provided with a hinged door 20, having some common means for securing them in closed position releasably, thus providing means for removing the goods or material in the several compartments 9 when a change thereof is desired to be made. Doors 21 21 close the cells and the compartments at the top. These doors are conveniently mounted by being hinged to a crossbar 22, secured to the top edge of the middle partition 16, the edges of the doors resting on the tops of the other partitions, wall, and panels. In the drawings I have shown a case having two series of cells of three cells in each series and have shown nine compartments for displaying goods; but I do not wish to limit my invention to the number of cells or display-compartments, as these may be increased or lessened, as desired.

This case is especially adapted for holding and displaying candy when the candy is in lump, tablet, or other form, in'small chunks or masses. The case may be used for displaying and holding any other goods or material that can be readily placed therein in bulk. In use the goods or articles to be displayed are put in the compartments 9 9 from the open tops of the compartments, andthe goods or materials to he held in bulk for selling or delivery are put from the top into the cells 17 17, and the mass resting on the floors of the cells is readily got at through the openings at the rear of the case and below the:

bottom 11 and the wall 16'. The floor 5, with its base 6, the posts 7, and the molding S are secured to each other, so as to form a framing of the case. This framing may be varied in form and style, as desired, as the particular form and construction of the framing does not constitute an essential part of the invention.

\Vhat I claim as my invention is- 1. In a case provided wit-h a bottom, an outer wall having an exterior glazed panel, side walls, an inner wall a little at the rear of said outer wall and forming with said outer wall and said side walls a display-compartment, a door in said outer wall below said glazed panel opening into said display-compartment at the lower end, and an interior goods-holding cell at the rear of said displaycompartment, said goods-holding cell being provided with a discharge-opening at its lower end.

2. A case, com prisingairame, glazed walls at a plurality of sirles'ot' the case, inner walls near to and behind the glazed walls, doors in the exterior walls below the glazed surfaces opening iuto display compartments formed between the glazed walls and said inner walls, and goods-holding cells in the case behindthe display-compartments, each goodsholding cell being provided with a goods-discharging opening at the lower extremity.

3. A case, comprising a frame, glazed walls at three sides of the case, inner walls near to and behind each of the three glazed walls, doors in the exterior walls below the glazed surfaces opening into display-compartments formed between the glazed walls and said inner walls, and a plurality of tiers of goodsholding cells in the case behind the displaycompartments, one tier of cells being behind another tier of cells, and each cell being provided with a goods-discharging opening at its lower extremity.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ADAM A. GRAU.

Witnesses:

ANNA V. FAUST, C. T. BENEDICT. 

